10. You care. You care about youth development and nurturing children, fostering independence for older adults and those with disabilities, providing basic needs to people in crisis, and strengthening and supporting families.

9. We hold our partner agencies – and ourselves – accountable. You can trust that money you contribute to United Way will be allocated to programs at agencies that are held to the highest standards. Our partner agencies submit to a rigorous re-application process each year, which includes careful examination of their financial records, goals, programming, and work in the community. Dedicated and conscientious volunteers distribute the funds, ensuring that the dollars have the greatest possible impact.

8. Your investment stays here in our community. Our dues to United Way of America are only one percent of the amount we raise locally; in return, we receive benefits worth many times more than that small investment. This means that almost every penny of your donation stays right here in our area, helping to make our community an even better place to live for everyone.

7. It’s tax-deductible. Any donation you make to United Way qualifies as a deduction on your personal or business taxes.

6. Any of us could benefit from our partner agencies’ services. The programs we fund aren’t just for the “other guy.” Our partner agencies serve a broad spectrum of the population, from the hungry and the homeless to hard-working employed people who just need a hand up to get through a tough time. In fact, one out of every four people living here benefits from the services of a United Way agency.

5. United Way collaborates with the community. United Way works with businesses, faith-based organizations, local government, the non-profit sector, and many other community groups to build the infrastructure we need to proactively tackle our biggest challenges.

4. You get a lot of bang for your buck. When you give once to United Way, you are really joining with the entire community to invest in twelve community partner agencies and the services they provide to people right here.

3. It feels good. When you invest in your community through United Way, you have the satisfaction and confidence of knowing that you, personally, are helping to sustain and improve the lives of your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and maybe even your own family members.

2. You are part of real solutions. United Way is interested in more than “band-aid solutions” – we know that long-term community impact comes only from forward-looking and thoughtful planning.